


With You, Always

by aria_vitali



Series: FFXIV Writing Prompts [9]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Dark Knight Questline (Final Fantasy XIV) Spoilers, Dark Knight Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22351036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aria_vitali/pseuds/aria_vitali
Summary: Or sensory prompt: "darting shadows in the corner of your eye"
Series: FFXIV Writing Prompts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616035
Kudos: 20





	With You, Always

**Author's Note:**

> 5.0 spoiler warning (just in case)

Fray is always there with you, no matter where you decide to go or what you decide to do. 

Even when you forget, there’s always that gnawing at the back of your mind and heart; sometimes you can feel his chiding, reprimanding you for putting others’ needs before your own. You can only smile at it when you hand a child a bag of sweets or when you run off to play a game of fetch for a dismayed Ul’dahn merchant. You gave him your answer in Whitebrim, but that doesn’t mean he can’t _complain_ for you, right?

Sometimes Fray would leave messages for you in your journal. Half the time, the notes of the day’s events are written in a snarky tone and you can imagine him saying it as if he is standing beside you, clear as day. The other half, he’s reminding you of your choices and why you had made them in the first place. He always tells you that, should you find yourself done with it all, he will gladly take the reins so you may be able to rest - _for who else could he love but you?_

You know that Fray was watching when you were pulled to the First. When Tesleen was turned right before your eyes, when you saw the terrifyingly high number of casualties at Ostall Imperative as you spearheaded its defense and when you saw Vauthry completely succumb to the Light itself. He is there with you. 

Fray _sees._

He sees the way that you stumble to the ground as the Light almost consumes you. He sees how crestfallen and hopeless you appear when you realize that you are a Lightwarden in all but shape. He sees how burdened you must feel when you scale the watchtower at the Crystarium on your lonesome to get some fresh air. At this point, Fray is _frustrated._

Why aren’t you calling him?

Why won’t you ask for help?

Why won’t you listen to your heartbeats?

Fray is reminded of the sheer intensity of emotions as they swirl about him within your heart. He is taken back to Whitebrim when you gave your answer and to the Peaks when he fought at your side. 

Your journey here and all that you feel, it’s because of love that you’re doing this, isn’t it? The overwhelming love that you have for the world and its people that push you to continue even as your heart bleeds. Even as he releases endless tears in your place when you can’t slip up in front of others, you forge on. This is why stars flock towards you, for you are the guide that leads them to yet be good people.

Fray knows that a divided house cannot stand.

You and your Scion party are watching the world burn around you. The death of the original star and the overwhelming amount of despair emanated in this illusion can suffocate anyone. Yet through ash and smoke, you tear through the monstrosities that the imbecile is using to block your path. Fray worries when a building comes crashing too close for comfort, but knows that you will prevail.

You must.

That is why when you falter at the First Doom, he takes matters into his own hands.

You and your Scions are on your knees. So much is happening between shielding against the meteor crashes and falling buildings that much of your energy is sapping fast. However, you know you need to push through it and keep everyone alive.

At the sight of shadows darting at the corners of your eyes, you almost let out a curse. You can’t faint now, not after all you went through to get here. For a moment, you forget the one that was watching in your heart. Thankfully, you were reminded very quick.

The shadows were not in your mind but tendrils of darkness forming at your side. You feel a familiar warmth bubbling in your chest as a figure emerges from the abyss. The simulacrum is in Fray’s form, as you remember him, and you release something between a choked off cry of joy and panic. Your living shadow shifts his head to you as he forms a claymore similar to what you have in your hold and you can hear his words whispering to you:

_“Just a little further. I am with you always.”_

With you, Fray fights against the First Doom. Then the Second. He stands at your side when you face Therion and bring him low. When you feel the wave of pain engulfing you once more, the Light breaking your already fractured soul, he feels it as well. So much so that he can no longer remain physically by your side.

So, when Emet-Selch is stepping towards you, Fray crouches before you defensively even as the tendrils of shadow that made him disperses. Your tale doesn’t end here. It can't.

He whispers in your heart then as you are being consumed by the Light.

_“We are with you. Always.”_

Fray feels the Light burst out of you in the form of raw energy. He feels your resolve. Feels your strength. Feels the comfort that you do in knowing that you are not alone. In your heart, he smiles.

He knew you wouldn’t forget for long.


End file.
